Riverview baseball rebuilding under 1st-year coach Gras

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, March 19, 2018 | 6:48 PM

For new Riverview baseball coach Bill Gras, the challenge is not only getting his team ready for the season, but to get the whole operation moving.

Hired late in the offseason, Gras is getting to know his players, battling low turnout numbers and learning about upcoming section opponents.

“You're trying to recruit players to play,” Gras said. “With a new coach coming in, kids are a little leery, gym availability time is a problem and the late start to begin with.”

Gras is a baseball lifer. He grew up in West Newton, home of talented American Legion and other youth baseball teams over the years.

Gras played sandlot ball for the Daily News League of McKeesport, coached with the Murrysville American Legion program and, for the last two seasons, was an assistant at Gateway.

Moving from a Class 5A school to a Class 2A school has one glaring difference — numbers. There are only 12 players on this year's Riverview team.

“The availability of athletes and the numbers,” Gras said of the big difference. “But the kids we have here seem to love the game and want to learn. I told the parents I want to teach life's lessons; that's what baseball does, and I hope I can make an impact on their lives after high school.”

The Raiders compiled a 3-11 record in Section 3-2A last season and 3-14 overall under then-coach Bill Murray.

Because of the low numbers, sophomores such as pitcher/first baseman Mark McClelland will be asked to fill a larger role than athletes at many other schools.

“Some of the larger schools have a lot more people to pick from,” McClelland said. “You're going to have a lot more variety with juniors and seniors, but sophomores and freshmen are going to have to step up more here than what's done in other schools. It's a bigger challenge than most would think.”

Players have to be adept at multiple positions.

“Everyone's being moved around a lot, but it's cool to see the younger guys stepping up since we don't have a lot of the older variety,” senior pitcher/middle infielder Jordan Zatawski said.

McClelland and Zatawski will be joined by junior Ben Blacksmith as starting pitchers.

There are just two seniors and three juniors on the team.

“My main objective here is to build this program,” Gras said.

Despite playing in different classifications, the Raiders consider Springdale their main rival. Riverview will host the Dynamos on May 8.

“It'll definitely be a fun game to play,” McClelland said. “Other than that, you have to try and win as many section games as you can.”

In one favorable bit of scheduling, Riverview will get to play its last four games at home at Riverside Park, one of the WPIAL's best venues.

“It's really neat being an athlete working around all the athletic facilities,” Zatawski said. “Our baseball field is probably the nicest in our section, and it's a lot of fun to play on.”

Riverview's section opponents again this season are Apollo-Ridge, Bishop Canevin, Brentwood, Carlynton, Northgate, Serra Catholic and Sto-Rox.

Riverview will open its 47th baseball season Friday at Avonworth.

George Guido is a freelance writer.

Tags: Riverview